Lightning, Panthers in Sunshine State battle
It’s getting hot in Florida. The Florida Panthers (20-14-2) have won five of their past six games and eight of the past 10. The Tampa Bay Lightning (20-13-3) have won two straight after losing three in a row (0-2-1) and occupy third place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of Florida. The temperature — and tempers — surely will be up a notch when the cross-state rivals meet in the Battle of the Sunshine State at Amerant Bank Arena (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, SCRIPPS). The Panthers hold a slight edge in the rivalry since the 2019-20 season (15-11-3). Since that season, the teams have appeared in the Cup Final a combined six times, with each winning the Cup twice. Each team also soon will have their moment in the sun. The Panthers host the New York Rangers in the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2 at loanDepot park in Miami, and the Lightning face the Boston Bruins in the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Feb. 1.
The schedule
New York Rangers at New York Islanders (6 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG2)
Boston Bruins at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; NESN, MSG-B)
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, CITY, SNE, SNO, SNP)
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; The Spot, SCRIPPS)
Washington Capitals at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSGSN2)
Detroit Red Wings at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, FDSNSO)
Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets (7 p.m. ET; SN1, SNW, FDSNNO, FDSNWIX)
Nashville Predators at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; KMOV-TV, Matrix-MW, FDSNMW, FDSNSO)
Chicago Blackhawks at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; Victory+, CHSN)
Anaheim Ducks at Los Angeles Kings (9 p.m. ET; FDSNW, KTTV, Victory+)
Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SNE, SNO, SNW)
San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; SN1, CITY, SNP, NBCSCA)
Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, ALT)
